Beijing

Beijing was a great city! The city is clean, large and polite! I was expecting a bit more of a police (or military) presence but there was hardly any to be seen. The drivers all obey the speed limit and everything is very orderly. The day we went to the great wall was very hazy (smoggy) with visibility only about 5 km (3 miles). The great wall has been renovated in the part that we visited. It was more like a big stairway (with 5300 steps!). There were lots of people at the start but not many at the top. I found it an easy climb but the rest of my crew (only 3 out of 8 made it to the top) found it quite hard. We then visited the Forbidden City (where the past Emperors of China lived). It was a very large complex but I found it a bit sterile (very boring in fact). The next day I was going to visit an old section of the Great Wall (by myself- the other crew were too afraid of the climb!) which is in original condition and a bit harder of a climb… but when I woke up it was pouring down with rain. The last day the weather (and smog) had cleared up but I didn’t have enough time to do the climb… so the next time I will do it.
Tomorrow I go to London. If the weather is good I plan to do a bit of sightseeing.
I am going to Bali at the end of the month too see the kids and I think then to Australia for a few days. I am very excited.